Whitefish girls claim State A soccer championship
JULIE ENGLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 hour, 7 minutes AGO
The victorious Whitefish girls soccer team after the Montana Class A state championship game at Smith Fields on Satruday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish's Sage Ordway blocks a shot by Columbia Falls' midfielder Riley Byrd at the state final game on Satruday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish defender Delila Vine calmly settles the ball during the state final game on Satruday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish's Neva Sliman controls the ball amidst three Wildkats during the state final game. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Adelle Flynn sends a pass to Neva Sliman at the state final on Satruday at Smith Fields. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish defender Barrett Clark sends the ball up field on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
A Columbia Falls Wildkat skies for a header in the state final game on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Ayla Mosher races to reach the ball before a Wildkat on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Physical play in the midfield takes out players on each team during the second half of the state final on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish's Grace Sliman and Columbia Falls' June Johnston go shoulder to shoulder in the state final match on Satruday in Whitefish. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish's Atley Bingham skirts Wildkat Mikaela Markle at the state final on Saturday at Smith Fields. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Anna Boysen looks to overlap Adelle Flynn at the state final on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
The Whitefish girls soccer team gathers before the opening whistle of the state championship match at Smith Fields on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Julie Engler covers Whitefish City Hall and writes community features for the Whitefish Pilot. She earned master's degrees in fine arts and education from the University of Montana. She can be reached at [email protected] or 406-882-3505. | November 2, 2026 1:57 PM
The Whitefish girls soccer team won the State A championship after beating rival and defending state champs Columbia Falls, 2-1 in a gritty and well-played match on Saturday at Smith Fields.
The atmosphere was celebratory as fans of both teams filled the stands. It was evident from the onset of the final that the matchup would be a tight one. In terms of fitness and size, the teams were evenly matched.
Whitefish took just eight minutes to score its first goal when Jenna Kimble and the Columbia Falls keeper nearly collided in an attempt to reach the ball, but Grace Sliman followed up on the play and sank a goal on her birthday.
The teams went into halftime 1-0.
Eight minutes into the second half, Kimble scored with a sweet dish from sophomore Atley Bingham. The Lady Bulldogs enjoyed a two-goal lead until the 63rd minute when Wildcat June Johnston scored off a well-taken corner kick.
Columbia Falls served up an onslaught of shots on goal late in the second half. Whitefish keeper Marlis Nargi made a tremendous diving save to her right, blocking the ball with a strong hand. Soon after, she punched a ball away from the net before diving to her left, keeping a goal attempt from squeezing into the lower corner of the frame.
"Whitefish possesses the ball so beautifully with intelligent distribution," Whitefish Head Coach Kelly Ordway said. "Senior goalkeeper Marlis Nargi had her best game of the season with Barrett Clark, Delila Vine, Ayla Mosher and Sage Ordway holding the defense strong in front of her.
“Neva Sliman won many 50/50 balls in the midfield followed by great distribution and Millie Meyer had another stand out game,” Ordway said. “We are so proud of all of these ladies in their well-deserved win today as state champions.”
The post-game, glitter-filled celebration was full of hugs and smiles for the Lady Dogs who consistently played as a unit, earning eight clean sheets and allowing only nine goals throughout the season.
"We actually had a little bit of a different game plan against them today and found that it really worked," Ordway said. "We knew where we needed to be offensively, and put all our mental energy into our effort. I'm so proud of these ladies."
Ordway said when it comes to a championship match, mindset plays a large role. She said the team replaced any internal, negative feedback loops with a positive statement. One she found using often leading up to the game was, "I can do it."
Whitefish seniors, goalkeeper Marlis Nargi and Anna Boysen, have been on the team for four years, and have now won the state championship in their freshman and senior years.
Boysen said it was "super cool" that the title circled back for the team.
"We had tons of preparation," she said. "We've beat them before, so we had to come in with a ton of energy, like we did a month ago, because that's what it takes."
She shared that her positive statement was, "You got this."
Nargi, who models her play on former Whitefish keeper Norah Schmidt, gave a nod to the quality of the opponent before praising her own team's effort.
"I have so much respect for all the players on the other team, and I know just how good they are," Nargi said. "I was making sure nothing came in my net to secure a win for my senior year.
"My teammates – I trust all of them which allowed me to let them make saves that I didn't have to make, so I could make the ones I had to," she said. "Barrett and Delila, they are some of the best center backs I've seen in my life, and they just proved it."
The two regular season games between the Lady Dogs and the Wildcats were close. Whitefish won, 2-1, in September, and the teams tied, 1-1, last month.
Whitefish beat Laurel, 1-0, and the Cats beat Billings Central, 2-1, in the quarterfinals to earn a spot in the finals.
The Dog/Cat matchup has a vibrant history. Whitefish won its first girls soccer championship by beating Columbia Falls, 1-0 in 2001. The teams met in the Class A finals again in 2023 when Whitefish, once again, came out on top, 3-1.
Reporter Julie Engler can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.
Whitefish's Sage Ordway blocks a shot by Columbia Falls' midfielder Riley Byrd at the state final game on Satruday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish defender Delila Vine calmly settles the ball during the state final game on Satruday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish's Neva Sliman controls the ball amidst three Wildkats during the state final game. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Adelle Flynn sends a pass to Neva Sliman at the state final on Satruday at Smith Fields. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish defender Barrett Clark sends the ball up field on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
A Columbia Falls Wildkat skies for a header in the state final game on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Ayla Mosher races to reach the ball before a Wildkat on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Physical play in the midfield takes out players on each team during the second half of the state final on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish's Grace Sliman and Columbia Falls' June Johnston go shoulder to shoulder in the state final match on Satruday in Whitefish. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Whitefish's Atley Bingham skirts Wildkat Mikaela Markle at the state final on Saturday at Smith Fields. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
Anna Boysen looks to overlap Adelle Flynn at the state final on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)
The Whitefish girls soccer team gathers before the opening whistle of the state championship match at Smith Fields on Saturday. (Julie Engler/Whitefish Pilot)ARTICLES BY JULIE ENGLER
Whitefish girls claim State A soccer championship
The Whitefish girls soccer team won the State A championship after beating rival and defending state champs Columbia Falls, 2-1 in a gritty and well-played match on Saturday at Smith Fields.
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